Foot controller bindings - examples

Hi all - lots of folks are using foot pedals to control Loopy. I thought it might be an idea if there was a thread where we could share our setups. I'm using a 10 button Rocktron Midimate like this:

This setup allows me to easily sync start and end loop-points with other BPM controlled devices to prevent things getting out of whack. The up and down buttons let me navigate through loops fairly easily. Stop, restart and reset are global.

Most of my songs i play with this setting. "Record mute" in the picture should actually be "Toggle mute"... but then it starts the recording too.

With my style of music making, selecting next and previous loops would be way too much presses. And dependent on the song i switch some bindings around for more functionality. Good thing i have 10 banks on my FCB1010.

Same here, but a start and reset ression, and a rerecord button serves its function too. So a 14 button MIDI footswitch would be better. Still missing functions as double and halve clock length, so i'm thinking, should i buy an extra FCB1010 and loop them together?

12 buttons? 14 buttons?! That seems insane! How can you think about which button to press and still remain in the cosmic musical here-and-now while performing?

Most live-performance dedicated hardware loopers have only 2 or 3 buttons (the Boss RC-300 is an exception, with its intimidating 8 buttons!)

A few years ago, I settled on a Boomerang III for looping, which I concluded is the best sounding and most versatile live-performance looper on the market. It has only 5 buttons; Loop 1, Loop 2, Loop 3, Bonus 1, and Bonus 2. The "bonus" buttons can each serve your choice of two functions, depending on whether you tap them or hold them down for >1/2-second. Loop 1, 2, and 3 can all be synced together (using one loop as a "master" and the other "slaves"), or you can use them as verse, chorus, bridge type looping. The custom button functions can be assigned stuff like stop/start all loops, reverse, undo, erase, stutter, fade, 1/2 or 2x speed, etc. (If you want to go insane, you can add a "sidecar" with 5 additional button controls...but I have always had everything I needed with the Rang's 5 buttons).

After playing around with (and being amazed by) Loopy, I decided to see if I could create a custom looping rig to effectively replace the Boomerang III. Trying to find the simplest, smallest, and most reliable set up for solo gigs is a constant goal. I have the audio and MIDI ins and outs working efficiently, but am finding that the button and MIDI binding complexity is currently the biggest challenge.

I've had a rc-300 and it was just fantastic, just believed that with 12 tracks of Loopy Hd, there could be more possible combinations. Eg several bass lines, guitar and other dynamic battery, all on separate tracks.
I even developed a bluetooth pedal with 12 buttons, but did not feel the same security and stability that had with the RC-300. I stayed 3 long months researching and testing ways to use it live, but now I quit.
I'm going back to the traditional method. A drum machine, a guitar and loop pedal (I'm still researching, because there are many alternatives on the market. Pigtronic Infinity, rc-505, EMX2880 or even TC Helicon Touch 2).
When Apple improve the system that is increasingly unstable, maybe I'll try again, but for now I'll go back to the way it was working very well. A little more humble, but it made ​​me happy.
Regards to all.

This is such a tough situation, I found that I always want more. I just built a 24 button footswitch that I still need to finish wiring up but it's almost done. 12 dedicated each loop of 12 loops, 2 for global loopy control, 1 for scene selection, 5 for virtual instrument switching, and 4 for guitar presets. It has 4 exp pedal inputs and one more ext button that I want to experiment with creating roland style hold functions for my guitar synth. Basically I made this thing because I got sick of toggling scenes for presets and loopy control so I decided I wanted a beast that handled everything all on one scene. We'll see how that works once it is done!

It seems insane to have all these buttons but having a button dedicated to a specific loop, when combined with hold functions provided by Midibridge, scrambled my brain MUCH less than using one button to try to select next loop, and then another button to record/mute, etc. There is something comforting in knowing that the button on the floor is always going to correspond to the exact loop on the screen. If Michael adds the dual function record capability to the solo track binding as discussed in eccecello's thread, I think I may finally have my perfect setup.

The "Mute" function works in three ways: (a) When nothing is on that track, it works as a record function. (b) After the track is recorded, it will shut that track off or mute it. (c) When pressed again, it works as an unmute function. Quite the handy function if utilized properly.

I also have a nanoKontrol2 that I control the levels of the loops as well as panning, muting, soloing, and overdubbing. I don't do too much of this, but I do use it from time to time. This setup for my FCB is all I really need.

I managed to build a foot controller with a bluetooth keyboard for iphone, but now the bluetooth keyboard just does not connect anymore.
The problem is they use CCK in one synchronized drum machine with loopy and would not know how to attach a FCB1010 because the usb iphone is already occupied.
Will a powered hub would solve the problem?

As far as i know, a CCK will never provide power to you iDevice. For me a reason i'm still using an iRig MIDI (which does charge).
The FCB1010 works as an MIDI merger. So maybe you can connect: drum machine -> FCB1010 -> Loopy.

Thanks it turned out pretty good considering I drilled and filed all openings by hand (except for the vents which I kinda wish weren't there). The enclosure is linked below, but aside from loving the look of the wood sides and size, I wasn't all that impressed with the fit and finish and design once I got my hands on it - especially for the money. Not really that robust. Thankfully I used soft click switches or I don't think it would have worked. There wasn't anything else I could find that I liked so I just stuck with it and made it work.

Hello Tom, I appreciate your suggestion, but I'm looking for an alternative to FCB1010 because I think too big.
I need to put together a portable kit since I already have a Big-55 and DR-3, which also control with your feet.
I plan on using a hub, just not sure it will work with cck on iphone.

Maybe less robust, but many buttons... Still very impressed.
@ Ronaldo, i guess you would end up with the Keith McMillen Instruments SoftStep. And if you update to IOS7 i heard the cck will work. But, there might be still some problems with the ios. Read before you update.

I've updated my iphone 4s with iOS7, but here in Brazil the SoftStep is hard to find as well, making it very expensive.
It seems that the Positive Grid is to launch a new foot controller for Bias, hope it's compatible with Loopy.
Meanwhile, I'll have to improvise here.

Tell me about it. I'm from the Netherlands and reside in Thailand, ordered my FCB1010 in germany to be send to france, where a friend took it with her on 3 planes so it was only a 4 hour mountain motor ride away from here.
For the love of loopy

I do not know anything, but only heard speak well about Bias and do not believe that would make a common foot controller as it already has on the market. Just hope arise many options and a lot of competition, so they are getting better and affordable lol.